(Press Release) The Atlanta Jewelry Show has a new director of education and sponsorships and will feature an expanded education program.
The appointment of Cindy Chandler to the role was announced by Carol Young, executive director, Southern Jewelry Travelers Association, producer of the semi-annual show.
The expanded education program created by Chandler adds a pre-show conference on Friday, March 3, the day prior to the spring show opening. It also adds multiple keynote speakers, new programs and interactive sessions during the show, to be held March 4-6 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
“Cindy Chandler is ideally suited for this new position, and we’re confident our community will find value in the new programs introduced at our March show,” Young said. “Cindy has keen insight into the complex issues facing independent jewelers today. Addressing these concerns and focusing on solutions is what Cindy does best; we are thrilled to bring her expertise in cultivating an educational community to the Atlanta Jewelry Show and all our participants.”
Chandler brings a background in education program development, retail, jewelry design and gemology to her new role. Most recently, she was the associate show director at The SMART Jewelry Show produced by SmartWork Media, publisher of INSTORE, managing an education schedule of up to 140 sessions and more than 80 speakers and keynotes. Prior to that she was deputy executive director of the American Gem Society, where she produced the organization’s educational events.
“I enjoy discovering topics that will help the independent jeweler stay abreast of what’s going on in retail, and finding resources to answer questions jewelers may not have even asked yet,” Chandler said. “Sometimes that means bringing in experts from outside of the industry, whose viewpoints on business, trends, shop topics, marketing and networking add fresh perspective to our own conversations.”
Highlights of the enhanced AJS U education program include:
- Pre-show conference on Friday, March 3, featuring more than 20 sessions on topics from social media mastery to the latest trends in colored gemstones, to hands-on bench workshops and much more.
- Opportunities to learn from the community as innovative retailers share their successes and challenges in interactive peer forums sponsored by the Diamond Council of America.
- New Learning Lab sessions on the show floor providing quick access to a team of experts on website design, computer technicians and all things social media.
Keynotes to open the show on Saturday and Sunday include:
- Mike Wittenstein, master storyteller and retail experience designer, explains how stories and storytelling techniques can be used to unlock sales opportunities and heighten brand value in Saturday’s keynote, “Want to Beat the Big Guys? Use Story as Your Strategy.” Providing the right experience for customers controls the details of the story they tell others.
- Helping companies to understand how cultural forces impact their markets and their consumers is the passion of Tom LaForge, founder, Macroforces Inc., and previous global director, Human & Cultural Insights, The Coca-Cola Co. In Sunday’s keynote presentation, “Cultural Shifts and Insights Vital for a Relevant Business Strategy,” LaForge will describe the cultural forces at play and explain how these forces impact the overall consumer goods landscape and the ways consumers make buying decisions.
For information about the show, visit www.atlantajewelryshow.com, send an email to info@atlantajewelryshow.com or call 800-241-0399 or 404-634-3434.